Coffee Break - Anne's Story (Part 1 of 2)
by Otakamerd
Summary: After weeks of midterm preparations and battling shadows, the group takes a short break. Both Ann and Ryuji are keeping something hidden from Kaito and the rest of the team but what is it?


Coffee Break – 1 of 2: Ann's Story (Persona 5)

It was a normal afternoon at Syujin High School, classes were slow and monotonous but the end of the school day was finally ending. The usual group of were gathered around Kaito's desk.

Ryuji let out a yawn as he leaned against his protégé's desk, checking his phone absent-mindedly.

"Whew, it's finally over." He said dramatically "Man, I don't know how much more of that I could've taken of that, when am I ever going to use English, I'm never going to England so what's the point? Did either of you take any of that in?"

"I understood most of it" Kaito replied suavely

Yusuke stood at a distance from them, holding his school bag as he nervously flipped through a study book before hesitantly speaking "Well actually, English is used in many different countries, not just England. In fact, even some districts here in Tokyo are predominantly English speaking areas" he said inquisitively.

Ryuji raised an eyebrow "Huh, is that so?" His eyes gazed off to the distance, settling on Ann. "I'm pretty jealous of Ann you know? Knowing two languages like that is cheating. And she makes it seem so easy too". He pouted childishly

"You can always study with me Ryuji-kun? I would enjoy the company actually" Yusuke asked him, kindly.

Ryuji waved his hand dismissively "I'm not really a studying type"

"He's more of a failing type of guy" Kaito laughed "But I wouldn't mind studying with you" Kaito smiled

Yusuke's face lit up "Of course! How about this afternoon, unless you have plans? We could invite Ann too" he asked

The three guys looked over at her, Ann was still sitting in her chair behind her desk, holding her phone in her hands, frowning as she did so.

"Speaking of our Panther, she hasn't said a word to us all day. Hell, she hasn't even looked at us either and I don't remember pissing her off today" Ryuji sighed, looking oddly empathetic.

"She keeps checking her phone like she's expecting something, maybe she made plans with someone…" Yusuke theorised

"Ha, Ann making plans with someone. We must be talking about two different people here-"

"I'm worried about her, I'll try speaking to her" Kaito said as he stood up and moved over to her, Yusuke and Ryuji immediately went back to their conversation about the existence of a supposed mystery boyfriend

She immediately hid her phone under the desk when he approached and greeted him with a smile "Oh Kaito-kun, are you well?" she asked cheerfully

"Is everything okay?" Kaito immediately followed up, startling her with his evasion of her greeting.

She looked away for a moment before answering "…I'm fine, I think I'm just a little stressed because of all these exams so that's why I haven't said anything"

"Then let's go study together, unless you have somewhere you need to be?" he responded

She didn't want to agree to his proposition but she couldn't help but say yes, when he smiled at her like that – she felt like she needed to go with him, it was almost like his eyes had total control over her.

"Sure, it'll be nice to study with someone, I never seem to take it all in on my own" she laughed as she grabbed her bag and smuggled her phone into it before turning to Kaito and speaking with a smile

"Shall we go?"

Afterschool -

At the local café, the two were sitting at a table. With two cups of fresh coffee, they had both been studying hard together, enjoying the opportunity to talk to one another until Kaito mentioned a very touchy subject

"Can I ask you something?" he questioned her

"Within reason" she replied, winking at him

"What happened between you and Mr Kamoshita?" he said, bringing her smile back down into a frown, as she immediately became visibly uncomfortable

"…You don't want to know" she replied simply, not wanting to talk about it

"I'd like to know" he replied, not wanting to let the subject go

"I don't want to talk about it" She paused "I'm sorry… I just don't want him to hurt anyone else" she looked at him, her eyes were shaken.

"He won't because he's gone. We're hunting him through every floor of that castle until we find him and pull him out of hiding. Besides we've got our Personas now. You're stronger now that you faced him again. Even though he's gone forever, those memories won't ever leave you until you share them with someone." He comforted her, placing his hand over hers

She frowned before she spoke "After all you've done for me, I suppose I do owe you an explanation…" she smiled wryly, pausing only to drink some of her coffee as she continued

"It all started a few months before you transferred, I was still getting used to it all – that's when I met him...Things were fine to begin with, nobody ever suspected him of being anything but a simple gym teacher. Until after one session, he asked me to clear up some equipment from the gym, I was about to leave for the day until I noticed the door to the equipment shed wouldn't open…That's where… it happened…"

X -

The doorknob rattled several times

"What? This door is jammed shut." Ann said as she desperately tried to loosen the door to open.

"Perfect, just great…" She sighed as she bashed into the door to push whatever was blocking it out of the way, even if it was just barely enough to squeeze herself out of the opening.

"Mr Kamoshita! I'm locked inside the equipment shed!" She called out for help. "Mr Kamoshi-mmph!" she flustered as she was grabbed from behind and restrained, she began to panic, swinging her arms wildly as she began to fear a crazed thief had managed to hide inside her school. Until a familiar voice spoke to her, sending shivers down her spine

"I've been watching you for a long time, Miss Takamaki" a fiendish voice whispered to her, moving his hand away from her mouth

"You, what do you think you're doing! Let go of me or I'll scream!"

She almost began to wish it was a thief now, she recognised the voice immediately of course, as her own gym teacher albeit sounding more like a perverted freak over an academic tutor. With all her strength, she put up all the resistance she could, wrestling around like a fish.

She managed to knock him off balance as the two tripped and fell over a misplaced piece of sporting apparatus. That was all she needed to flee towards the door, forcing the door again before bashing into it with her shoulder. She didn't care if she shattered every bone in her arm, she was determined to get out.

"Why are you trembling like that Ann? I'm not going to hurt you. I wouldn't dare harm a single hair on your pretty little head. I've been watching you for some time now. You see, I guess you could call me your secret admirer" her teacher stated, trying and failing to stop her attempts to escape.

She turned completely pale as she turned around slowly, her getaway attempt was a bust, she couldn't get out. She could barely manage to speak without choking in disgust, was this real? There was no way this could be happening to her.

"You've been watching me?" She said, practically having to push down the bile rising in her throat, she thought playing into his fantasy would've been the smart thing to do but what he responded with sickened her

The man smiled, thinking she had been tangled up in his web – just like the others "Of course, have a look if you don't believe me" he said edging closer to her – handing her a collection of photographs

"…! These pictures, how– I…can't believe this…"

She desperately wanted to cry, both tears and for help. The photos were all of her, in from different angles, taken secretly while she changed into and out of her clothes even while she showered. He must have placed secret cameras all over the girl's changing rooms.

"Do you like them?" He leered at her "I've seen many girls but you – you are special Ann Takamaki. Your skin is so pale; your hair looks so soft and your body in that uniform? It's—"he sickeningly described her, reaching out to touch her

Ann slapped his hand away

"Get away from me, you creep!" she ordered, tears flooding down her cheeks as she gripped onto a nearby hockey stick holding it out at him "If you come any closer, I won't hesitate to aim straight for your head, pervert!"

The man relinquished his hand and smiled as he pulled out his phone slowly

'Shit, is he planning on calling for help? I don't see anyone else around. Maybe he's trying to record me, that bastard…' Ann thought to herself

He turned the phone to her, a terrifying and gross grin plastered across his face.

"We wouldn't want these pictures getting out now, would we? Imagine what your classmates would think if they saw those photos? Do you think you'd be expelled or just suspended? Maybe your parents would have to make you transfer schools." He sneered "Either way, everyone would see the real you, 'Young Miss Takamaki Exposed' I can practically see those online posts write themselves. All I have to do is press SEND"

She relished in horror, if those photos went public… She didn't even want to imagine it.

"So what do you want from me?" she hesitated to say

"I want you to do some private photoshoots – just for me. I want you to show me that you love the attention you get from me. Do that and I promise I won't send the pictures to anyone else, this will be our little secret, between you and me"

If she wasn't already crying, she would've started by now. His dirty little secret was nothing more than blackmail.

"You're scum!" Her frail voice shook.

Although he seemed to love her words as if they were compliments, he moved over to the door and loosened it for her, grabbing her arm before she could leave

"You can talk dirty if that makes it easier for you, your body says everything I want it to anyway" he said, every word piercing her heart "You have gym class tomorrow again last thing, do you not? I'll find you, just in case you have the sweet little idea to bring someone with you to our special place."

He left without another word, brushing past the frail girl as she dropped to her knees, sobbing into her hands. She stayed there, surrounded only by shelves full of sporting equipment and soft buzzing of the dying ceiling lights in a cold and nearly pitch dark room, simply crying until all the tears she shed dried up on the ground.

X -

"So now you know everything. I wasn't his first and I won't be his last. All the other girls he tortured either moved away or committed suicide, I just stopped talking but I consider myself one of the lucky ones"

The two were totally silent, there were no tears from either party, just solace. Although it hurt to revisit the past again, she felt better knowing that Kaito felt no different about her, he still smiled at her from across the other side of the table

"We're going to make him pay for it all Ann, not just what he did to you, but what he did to all those other girls, I promise you we will" he said with sheer determination, his voice was unwavering and his eyes were focused. He truly meant every word.

Ryuji and Yusuke were standing with them, the blonde looked totally miserable "I had really hoped that I'd be the last time you'd ever need to tell anyone about that story. I'm sorry Ann, looks like I broke our promise."

"Miss Takamaki, I apologise if I ever acted inappropriately before. I had no idea, please forgive me"

She chuckled – genuine laughter. "You know I hate those stupid ugly faces of your Bakauji! I believe you also promised me that you'd never pull one again." She scowled joking, she sure seemed like her normal self again.

She then looked over at Yusuke "And Yu-kun, please call me Ann – there's no need to be so formal, we're friends after all, aren't we?" she smiled, closing her eyes in glee

Yusuke scoffed happily "Of course, we are all friends, comrades in the battle for truth too it seems"

"Man, you make it sound like a joke" Ryuji laughed,

"Coming from you Bakauji! Your grades are the only joke I can see" Ann joked, defending Yusuke's fragile self-confidence.

Everyone's expressions seemed to lighten up as laughter filled the table.

"So you were involved in this too Ryuji?" Kaito asked

"Yeah, 'course! It's how me and Annie first met each other. Do you want to hear the rest of the story?"

"Ryuji, you don't have to tell them just because I told them my story" Ann said honestly, worried her testimony made Ryuji felt like he needed to explain himself too.

"Nah, it's fine; I'd like to get it off my chest. Just buy me a coffee first because this is going to be a long one" he grinned impishly.

I thought it was tea?


End file.
